Pronunciation guide
How to say “Water” in Tamil
Say “tanneer”. Written தண்ணீர் in Tamil.
தண்ணீர்
Say it: “tanneer”
Formal notation: taṇṇīr
Syllable breakdown
Try saying the word one syllable at a time:
ta·ṇṇīr
Speaking tips for this word
- Long vowels (ā, ē, ī, ō, ū) take about twice as long as short ones. Hold the sound rather than clipping it short.
- Retroflex consonants (ṭ, ḍ, ṇ, ṣ) are pronounced with the tongue curled back, touching the roof of the mouth — different from English t/d/n/sh.
Saying “Water” in Tamil — frequently asked
How do you pronounce "Water" in Tamil?
Say "tanneer" — broken into syllables: ta-ṇṇīr. The native spelling is தண்ணீர்.
What is the simplest way to say "Water" in Tamil?
The most common Tamil word for "water" is தண்ணீர், pronounced "tanneer". It works in everyday speech with no formality concerns.
Is "taṇṇīr" the same as "tanneer"?
Yes. "taṇṇīr" uses IAST notation with diacritics — the long lines (ā ī ū) mean "hold the vowel longer". "tanneer" is the same word written the way an English speaker might spell it phonetically.
Are there other ways to say "Water" in Tamil?
Yes — common alternates include: Tanneer, Thanneer, Thanni. தண்ணீர் is the most widely understood.
Want more context?
See the full Tamil word page for “Water” →Includes alternate translations, example sentences, related vocabulary and the word in cultural context.
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